New EU road rules to catch holiday speeders

19 May 2005

BRUSSELS – Belgian-based motorists caught speeding in neighbouring European countries will be forced to cough up the cash and pay their fines in future.

Given the administrative and linguistic burden of pursuing speeding motorists across EU borders, far too many have gotten off scot-free in the past. A Belgian driver speeding on a French motorway, for instance, could fairly easily avoid paying his fine.

But a new EU directive due to enter into force in Belgium in March 2007 is supposed to put a stop to such speeding shenanigans, French-language daily La Libre Belgique reported on Thursday.

Justice Minister Laurette Onkelinx said the federal government was already working hard on transposing the EU directive into Belgian law.

Under the new rules, any speeding tickets of more than EUR 70 received by a Belgian motorist in another EU member state must be paid in full.

Part of the problem has been police officers who do not speak the same language – it is difficult for an officer in Spain, for instance, to pursue a motorist caught speeding there in Belgium, the Netherlands or Germany, and vice versa.

Still, even without the stricter new EU law in force, if a police officer in another EU member state stops a motorist and asks for an on-the-spot payment of a specific fine, there is little the motorist can do put cough up the cash.

Most EU member states, however, catch speeders with hidden cameras that catch license-plate numbers in quick flash photos.

[Copyright Expatica]

Subject: Belgian News